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Conjugation
Objective: Form the conditionnel présent across all six persons and apply it to polite requests, hypothetical outcomes, and journalistic statements.
| Subject | Ending | Example with parler | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| je | -ais | je parlerais | I would speak |
| tu | -ais | tu parlerais | you would speak |
| il / elle / on | -ait | il parlerait | he would speak |
| nous | -ions | nous parlerions | we would speak |
| vous | -iez | vous parleriez | you would speak |
| ils / elles | -aient | ils parleraient | they would speak |
The si clause never takes the conditional. The imparfait carries the hypothetical condition, and the conditional appears only in the result clause.
The polite request uses the conditionnel présent voudrais, not the future voudrai. The future form announces a decision instead of softening the request.
The conditional voudrais softens the request, while the future voudrai would announce a decision instead of asking politely.
The conditional of pouvoir uses the irregular stem pourr- with the ending -iez. The inversion marks the formal register.
The si clause uses the imparfait, and the result clause uses the conditional viendrais.
Both clauses express an imaginary situation. The condition and the outcome are presented as unlikely or contrary to reality.
The conditional aimerais softens a wish into a suggestion. The infinitive visiter follows the conjugated verb.
7 exercises · about 11 minutes
Aller has the irregular stem ir-, so the conditional is j'irais, never j'allerais. The infinitive is not the stem for this verb.
The conditional of unverified information marks the claim as reported rather than confirmed. The present tense would present the report as established fact.
The fixed expression il vaudrait mieux uses the conditional of valoir to give softened advice.
The conditional serait signals a reported claim that has not been confirmed. This use is standard in journalism.
The source marker selon introduces the unverified claim, and the conditional aurait marks the report.